harkness



WELL REAMER.

APPLICATION FILED 1mm. i919.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET t me.

WELL-REAMER.

Specification of Iletters Batent.

Patented-Oct. 28, 1919..

Application filed Januarv 27. 1919. Serial s... 273.316.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. HARKNESS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in WVell- Reamers, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in well reamers, for the purposemore particularly of enlarging the bore of Artesian and other like wellsbelow and in advance of the casing, and the present invention is animprovement upon the construction shown in my Patent No. 1,146,250,dated July 13th, 1915, which improvement will be particularly pointedout hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an underreamer embodying my invention, the bits shown in their extendedpositions.

I Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective View of my improved form ofbits.

of my present improvement, showing the bits extended. t

. Fi 4 is a vertical central sectional view, showing the bits folded orcollapsed inward to enter a well-casing.

Incarrying out my present improvement, astock or body portion 1 isprovided, and the lower end of the body is provided with a longitudinalslot 2, the lower end of the slot being closed by a transverse web 3.This body 1 is provided with a longitudinal bore or opening 3*,contracted at its lower end by an inwardly projecting flange or shoulder4, making a reduced longitudinal open ing 5, which communicates with theslot2. As shown, the lower end of the body has an enlargement 6, andthis enlargement extends upward a little more than half the length ofthe slot 2'. The lower slot 2 forms a transversely. arranged receivingpassage for the bits 7.

One of the present improvements over my aforesaid patent is in theconstruction of the bits 7. These bits 7 are provided at their upperends with reduced flanges 8, preferably slightly tapered and adapted toenter the lower end of the reduced tapered opening 5 of the body, asshown in Fig. 3, when the bits 7 i are in their extended positions forunder-reaming. A relatively small semi-cir- Fig. 3 is a vertical centralsectional viewcular groove 9 is formed in the inner face of each of theflanges 8 and relatively larger grooves 10 are formed on the inner facesof the upper portions of the hits, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, forming ashoulder 11.

Each bit below the opening 10 has an outwardly extending or transverselyarranged slot 12, the lower wall 18 of which is prefer ably inclineddownwardly and inwardly and below this 'slot 12 there is an inwardly.

curved portion 14, terminating in a point or angle 15, as clearly shownin Fig. 2. A vertical passage 16 is centrally cut through the'angle 15to form a vertical passage for a purpose presently explained. The upperends 17 of the bits form shoulders and below this point the bit isreduced, as shown at 18, forming a second set of shoulders 19, for apurpose which will be explained hereinafte A spring actuated rod 20passes through the body 1 and has at its lower end a head 21, whichextends into the grooves 10 and interlocks with the shoulders 11.

Located on this red is a collar 22 adapted to rest on the shoulder 4 ofthe bore of the body 1, and a spiral spring 23 'is located between thiscollar and a screw-nut 24 at the outer or upper end of the rod 20, thusholding the spring between the collar and the nut.

' A vertically slidable sleeve extends around thebody 1, just above theenlarged the slot 2, a distance approximately onethird thelength of theslot andalso embraces the reduced upper ends 18 of the bits. 1

When the parts are assembled, the sleeve 25 is moved upward on the bodyto expose the slot 2. A rod 27 has its upper end detachably connectedwith the head 21 of the rod 20 by screw-threads 28, as shown, and

its lower end provided with a loop 29 by means'of which the rod can bepulled outward pulling with it the rod 20 against the tension of thespring 23. With the sleeve moved upward and the'head 21 pulled outward,the bits are inserted in the position shown in Fig. 3, and thesleeve.25; moved back toits normal position, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and4. The bits may be removed by sliding the sleeve upward and pullingoutward on the rod 27, which will release the bits and permit them to beremoved sidewise through the slot 2.

The bits having been assembled in position, they are normally in theirextended position shown'in Fig. 3, and this position of the bits iscaused by the spring rod 20 pulling inward or upward on the bits causingthe lower Walls 13 of the slot 12 to first engage the lower taperededges 30 and then the upper tapered edges 30, which looks the bitsagainst inward movement by the bridge or web 3. With the parts in thisposition the shoulder 17 abuts against the upper wall of the slot 2,

In the use of this reamer, it is necessary for the bits 7 to be foldedinward, as shown in Fig. 4, to enter the upper end 31 of thewell-casing, and this is accomplished by pulling outward on the rod 2?,and the bits, as shown in Fig. 4-, and when in this position a suitableholding rin. or band 32 is placed around the bits holdlng them in thisposition while they are inserted in the casing. When the device ispushed down in the casing, theiring 32 is pushed along the body of thereamer and removed therefrom,

The operation of an under-reamer is so well understood that adescription thereof is not necessar except to say that in theconstruction here shown the spring actuated rod 20 is exerting aconstant inward or upward.

pull so that when the bits 7 pass out of the lower end of the casing,they are drawn upward and the web or bridge 3 engaging the lower walls13 of the slots 12, force the bits outward in the position shown in Figw3, to ream the well larger than the casing, to per-- mit the casing tobe moved downward as the well is deepened, according to the usualpractice.

My present construction embodies three improvements over my patent.

Une improvement being the slot 12 in the inner sides of the bits receiveand co6per-' ate with the brid e or web 3, for the purpose of forcingthe blts outward into operative position.

Another improvement is the forming on the outer surface of the bits 7,additional shoulders 19 located above theslots 12, and in normalposition immediately at the lower end of the sleeve.

Another improvement is to have the rod 20 carry an abutment collar 22and the body 1. to have an opening 5 large enough for the head 21 of therod 20 to pass through, whereby the rod and its collar can be assembledoutside of the body and passed therethrou 11 into operative position orremoved there rom as a single unit. I

The sleeve 21 projects a distance over the slot 2, greater than theheight of the slots 12 of the bits, so that should the rod 20 break, orthe spring 31 break, permitting the rod to drop, the bits cannot movedownward or outward far enough to release their upper ends fromembracement of the sleeve 25. This prevents the bits from being lost inthe well by reason of the breaking of the spring 31 or the rod 20.

Attention is directed to the fact that the bridge 3 is the only meansfor forcing the bits outward or separating them, and that its radius orcurved face which forces the cutters outward is the same that expandsthem, and the engaging faces of the bridge and cutters correspond witheach other as shown when the cutters are in their expanded positions.

It will be observed that the grooves 10 in the bits form a pocket toreceive the head, 21 of the rod- 20, and that the slots 12 are locatedbelow this pocket, the lower ends of the slotscooperating with the edgesof the bridge 3 to force the bite outward when they are drawn upward bythe springactuated rod, as shown in, Fig. 3,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In an implement of the character described, thecombination with a body portion having longitudinally depending armsforming a longitudinal slot, a web spanning the space between the armsand located above the lower extremities of said arms, the webhavingdownwardly tapered edges, of

bits having reduced upper portions fitting and movable longitudinallyand laterally within the slot, said bit-reduced portions only havingoutwardly extending web receiving pockets and downwardly and inwardlycurved portions ending at the lower ends of the bit-reduced portions forengag ing the tapered. edges of the said web, whereby the taperedWedge-acting parts are completely between the arms and no partsproecting downward from the lower ends of said arms, and an upwardlyspring acting member operatively connected with the upper ends of saidbit-reduced portions, the parts operating as described.

In an implement of the character described, the combinationwith abodyportion having downwardly depending arms forming a longitudinal slot, aweb spanning the space between and at the lower ends of the arms, ofbits having upwardly projecting reduced portions fitting and movablewithin the slots, the inner walls of the bitreduced portions havingoutwardly projecting web-receiving pockets and downwardly and inwardlyextending tapered portions for engagement with the edges ofsaid web,

a sleeve surrounding the body portion and;

embracing the upper portions of the said body arms, the outer walls ofthe bit reduced portions having two outwardly projecting shoulders, theupper shoulder engaging the upper wall of the slot and the lowershoulders below the lower end of said sleeve when the bits are extendeddownward and outward, and a spring actuated member connected with theupper ends of the bit-reduced portions and pulling upward thereon, theparts operating as described.

3. An implement of the character described, comprising a body-portionhaving a bit receiving slot at its lower end, bits having upper portionswithin said slot, the bits and body portion having engaging Wallsadapted to force the bits outward, the bodyportion having a longitudinalbore, a rod within the body-portion having a collar vloose thereon andcarrying a head at its lower end, the collar resting on a shoulder ofthe bore of the body-portion, a nut on the upper end of the rod and anexpanding sprin between the nut and the said collar, where y the rod,spring and collar are bodily removable from the body-portion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ALBERT E. HARKNESS,

